Mary J. Blige

Mary Jane Blige (/ˈblaɪʒ/; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, model, record producer and actress. Starting her career as a background singer on Uptown Records in 1989, Blige released her first album, What's the 411?, in 1992, and has released 11 studio albums since and made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks.

A recipient of nine Grammy Awards, in addition to receiving a record of thirty Grammy nominations, Blige is one of few entertainers in history to have eight or more albums to reach multi-platinum status. My Life, in particular, is considered among the greatest albums ever recorded according to Rolling Stone,Time, and Vibe. For her part in combining hip-hop and soul in the early-1990s and its subsequent commercial success, Blige received the Legends Award at the World Music Awards. Blige also received the Voice of Music Award from performance rights organization ASCAP, with its official Jeanie Weems stating that "[Blige's] music has been the voice of inspiration to women worldwide in both struggle and triumph." Blige made Time magazine's "Time 100" list of influential individuals around the world in 2007.

Background

In March 1960, while on tour in Europe, Miles Davis purchased a soprano saxophone for Coltrane. With the exception of Steve Lacy's late 1950s work with the pianist Cecil Taylor, the instrument had become little used in jazz at that time. Intrigued by its capabilities, Coltrane began playing it at his summer club dates.

Background

In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a reference to things Maria loves, such as "Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens". These are the things she selects to fill her mind with when times are bad.

The original Broadway musical places this song in the Mother Abbess's office, just before she sends Maria to serve Captain von Trapp's family as governess to his seven children. However, Ernest Lehman, the screenwriter for the film adaptation, repositioned this song so that Maria would sing it with the children during the thunderstorm scene in her bedroom, replacing "The Lonely Goatherd", which had originally been sung at this point. Many stage productions also make this change, shifting "The Lonely Goatherd" to another scene.

My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses, whiskers on kittensBright copper kettles, warm woolen mittensBrown paper packages tied up with the stringsThese are a few of my favorite thingsCream colored ponies, crisp apple streudelsDoorbells and sleigh bells, schnitzel with the noodlesWild geese that fly with the moon on their wingsThese are a few of my favorite thingsWhen the dog bitesWhen the bee stingsWhen I'm feeling sadI simply remember my favorite thingsAnd I don't feel so badGirls in white dresses with the blue satin sashesSnowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashesSilver white winters that melt into the springsThese are a few of my favorite thingsRaindrops on roses, whiskers on the kittensBright copper kettles and the warm woolen mittensBrown paper packages tied up with the stringsThese are a few of my favorite thingsWhen the dog bitesWhen the bee stingsWhen I'm feeling so sadI simply remember my favorite thingsAnd I don't feel so badWhen the dog bitesWhen the bee stingsWhen I'm feeling so sadI simply remember my favorite thingsAnd I don't feel so badCream colored ponies, crisp apple streudelsDoorbells, sleigh bells, schnitzel with the noodlesWild geese that fly with the moon on their wingsThese are a few of my favorite thingsGirls in white dresses with the blue satin sashesSnowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashesSilver white winters that melt into the springsThese are a few of my favorite thingsWhen the dog bitesWhen the bee stingsWhen I'm feeling so sadI simply remember my favorite thingsAnd I don't feel so badWhen the dog bitesWhen the bee stingsWhen I'm feeling so sadI simply remember my favorite thingsAnd I don't feel so bad